UPDATE: Kissinger: McCain is right; corrects Obama on talking to Iran.
UPDATE: Bill Kristol said on Fox after the debate, that it was clearly McCain's night as he won 8/9 question segments but there was no clear KO. I beg to differ.
John McCain stood out last night with Barack Obama before the American people clearly defining his positions on the economy, energy, health care, and foreign relations. He came across as a strong, extremely experienced leader.
From the get go, McCain put the stuttering, sputtering Obama on the defense.
At least half dozen times, McCain used the phrase Senator Obama doesn't seem yet to understand..... to KO his opponent. Obama came across as weak. No wonder our enemies are want to see O elected.
McCain was clearly in command of the foreign policy part of this debate. On Iraq. On Iran. On Afghanistan. On Pakistan. On North Korea. On Russia. On the Russian invasion of Georgia.
McCain made Obama look shifty, naive and tentative in this debate, at times in ways that made me embarrassed for the junior senator from Illinois. And Obama's Kissinger reference will surely come back to haunt him as Kissinger issued a correction after the debate.
McCain emphatically supports spending restraint, earmark elimination and low taxes. He reiterates that American businesses have the second highest tax rate---35%---in the world which don't need to be raised. Obama opined about too many loopholes in these taxes.
McCain explained his part opposition to President Bush on spending, climate change, torture of prisoners to name a few. He recalled that he opposed President Reagan on sending troops into Lebanon.
McCain is his own man.
McCain said Obama doesn't know the difference between a tactic and a strategy in Iraq. He accused Obama of wanting to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in Iraq, the central theater of the War on Terror, and said the surge continues to be shown to be effective and successful.
Thanks, Web. I did not get a chance to watch it, so I appreciate being able to get yur take.
ReplyDeleteCBS Insta Poll shows Barack Obama won 39% to John McCain's 25% with 36% saying the debate was a draw.
ReplyDeleteInsider Advantage reports of those polled Obama won 42% to McCain's 41% with Undecided 17%
CNN reports voter opinions that Obama "did better" 51%, McCain "did better" 38%
The CNN poll showed men were evenly split, but women gave Obama higher marks 59% to 41% for McCain.
The MSNBC on-line poll showed Obama winning the debate 52% to 33%.
MediaCurves.com reported Independents favored Obama overall 61% to 38%.
CNN will skew the polls to their liking. Polls like that don't mean anything because they use their own constituency. If they say Obama won, then we must have been watching two different debates.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this one, Webutante.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I was bothered by how slick and smooth Obama was, but then realized that could actually be a problem for him.
I'm sure his worshippers treat that as a plus, but it felt like being in the presence of a car salesman (I suspect he would make an exceptional one).
In contrast, I thought McCain came off as more of a real person.
Dick Morris of Fox News:
ReplyDelete"I thought Obama won the first, I thought McCain won the second. And overall since we hadn’t had a terrorist attack last week, but had the economy failing apart. The economy is more important that I have to say unfortunately I think Obama won this debate."